The invention relates to a garment hanging device. More particularly, the invention relates a garment hanger which is configured so that it may be easily supported by the grab handles typically mounted near the ceiling in many automobiles.
It is quite common that clothing must be transported by automobile. Most of the time, dry cleaning is picked up by automobile Further, certain occasions require that, a suit or dress must often accompany the occupants of the vehicle. Keeping the suit or dress well-pressed during the journey is a difficult task.
Traditionally most vehicles had a small hanging hook at the rear of the driver's and/or passenger's sides, to support conventional hangers. However, many modern vehicles, especially sport utility vehicles and foreign automobiles, have eliminated these hooks and replaced them with "grab handles". These grab handles are typically located just adjacent to the ceiling, above the front and/or rear doors.
Thus, when one is transporting fine clothing by automobile, the only option is to hang the clothes from the grab handles with hangers that extend directly over and through the grab handles. Due to the design and location of these grab handles in relationship to the ceiling of the vehicle, it is often difficult, and on some vehicles impossible, to pass the hook of the conventional clothes hanger through the opening between the grab handle and the ceiling (headliner) of the vehicle in which it is attached. Also, during the installation and removal of the conventional clothes hangers from the grab handle, the clothes hangers, especially the ones made of wire, will sometimes scrape, damage, or tear the vinyl and leather material from which the grab handles are made and also the vinyl or cloth material from which the ceiling or headliner is made. The direct contact and sliding movement of the conventional clothes hangers against the surfaces of the grab handle also has a tendency to wear, tear, crack, and damage the grab handles. For these reasons, many vehicle owners will not hang clothes directly over and on the grab handles in the vehicles.
Even if the vehicle owner does place conventional clothes hangers on the grab handles, the garments tend to be pushed against the windows and doors of the vehicle, due to the position of the grab handle in the vehicle, thus wrinkling and possibly soiling the garments. Since the garments hang perpendicular to the grab handle and parallel to the back for the vehicle, they also have a tendency to obstruct a good portion of the driver's view through the rear window of the vehicle and limit the useful seating capacity of the back seat.
Others have proposed devices which attach onto the grab handles of a vehicle, for the purpose of hanging a single garment, or multiple garments. While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose employed, or for general use, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as disclosed hereafter.